The Courtyard of Life

“Good morning.”

The young man at the door smiled gently.

Bai Ci had assumed it was Xiya—only to find Luo Yu standing there instead.

“Thanks for yesterday,” Luo Yu said sincerely.
“Without you, Sin City would’ve been doomed.”

Just go back to sleep…

Bai Ci waved weakly, reaching to close the door—but Luo Yu blocked it with his foot.

Exhausted, Bai Ci just wanted to nap again.

“Anything else?” he yawned.

“Join the Shiyu Church.”

Luo Yu’s expression was dead serious.

“What are you doing here?”

Before Bai Ci could refuse, another voice cut through from the hallway.

Bai Ci turned—and felt a chill run down his spine.

Qi Qiao stood there, wearing casual loose clothes today. Her usual high ponytail was now down, flowing freely.

She glared coldly at Luo Yu from the doorway.

“What’s it to you?”

Luo Yu’s face darkened instantly:
“I came to express gratitude. Do I need the Holy Heaven Army’s permission?”
“And this inn is under Shiyu Church control—I can come and go as I please.”
“But you? You shouldn’t even be here. What’s your purpose?”

“He still owes me an explanation, doesn’t he?”

Qi Qiao tilted her head toward Bai Ci.

No way…

Seeing the scene unfold, Bai Ci felt his temples throb.

Just woke up—and already in the middle of this.

You two keep fighting…
I’ll go back to sleep…

With that, Bai Ci slammed the door shut.

Knock knock knock!

A few seconds later, relentless knocking drove him to the edge.

Can’t you people leave me alone so early in the morning?!

The argument outside grew louder. Bai Ci took a deep breath and yanked the door open:

“Look, you two—” he interjected helplessly,
“If both of you claim to protect Sin City, why not just talk like normal people?”

“Talk with her?”

Luo Yu scoffed.
“A Holy Heaven Army commander who thinks she’s above everyone?”

“At least when disaster strikes, the Holy Heaven Army actually acts,” Qi Qiao shot back,
clearly still bitter about the Shiyu Church’s absence during last night’s battle.

Bai Ci watched the tension rise, frantically raking his fingers through his hair.

How do I get these two to calm down?!

“That… I’m kind of hungry. How about we all grab something to eat together?”

Half an hour later,a rare trio walked through Sin City’s streets:
the heir of the Shiyu Church, the commander of the Holy Heaven Army, and a clearly sleep-deprived youth.

Their presence drew stares from every passerby.

Bai Ci felt utterly awkward.

Then, his eyes caught a fruit stand on the corner.

Hmm…

The fruits looked fresh enough.

Let’s buy some—maybe escape this tension for a moment.

With that thought, he started walking.

“Sir, want anything?”

The vendor greeted him cheerfully.

Bai Ci was surprised. Despite last night’s massive monster attack,
the market was bustling—shouts, haggling, life continuing as if nothing had happened.

Perhaps the people here had simply learned to adapt.
No matter what horrors struck, life went on.

Wait… do I even have enough money?

A sudden realization hit him.

Hang on…

Under the vendor’s puzzled gaze, Bai Ci hurried off to the distant pair, muttering something to them.

The next second, both Luo Yu and Qi Qiao reached for their belts simultaneously:

“The Shiyu Church isn’t so poor we can’t afford our friend’s fruit.”
“The Holy Heaven Army has traditions of rewarding those who serve.”

When Bai Ci returned to the stand, he carried two heavy bags.

He hadn’t expected that—just saying he was broke—
both Luo Yu and Qi Qiao would compete to give him so much gold.

Two full bags of coins…

Am I being sponsored now? Bai Ci wondered.

“Hmm… this one… and some of that…”
“Sir, you buying so much—can you even finish it?”

“There’s someone else eating with me…”

Bai Ci didn’t look up, casually picking berries.

Uh…

The vendor’s face suddenly twisted uncomfortably.

“What’s wrong?”

Bai Ci finally looked up—only to realize something was terribly off.

“It’s fine… sir, take these fruits as a gift,” the vendor stammered.
“I’m feeling unwell… might not come out for a few days…”
“Don’t come looking for me, okay…”

The next second,

he collapsed to his knees, eyes wide and fixed on the ground, black liquid oozing from his mouth.

What the hell?!

Bai Ci froze.

The grotesque sight sent bystanders screaming and scattering.

But experienced residents of Sin City already knew what was coming.

“Run! He’s turning into a monster!!”

A woman shrieked from the crowd.

Panic erupted across the street.

“Run… sir…”

With the vendor’s final words,

his muscles exploded outward, tissue splattering the walls.

In an instant, the man was gone—replaced by a monster standing directly before Bai Ci.

Bai Ci didn’t move.

The monster’s massive claw swung toward his head.

“Sorry…”

Just centimeters from impact,

a surge of intense fire element erupted from Bai Ci, racing up the claw and engulfing the monster’s entire body.

From transformation to ash—the former fruit vendor was gone in seconds.

“What happened… Bai Ci?!”

Hearing the chaos, Luo Yu and Qi Qiao rushed over, only to find Bai Ci holding several fruit bags… and a pile of ashes.

Bai Ci stayed silent. They already knew.

“See?! This is what happens when you don’t join the Temple of Life!”

Amid the panic, no one noticed a deranged middle-aged man climb onto a nearby rooftop.

He screamed wildly, possessed by madness:
“Only the Temple of Life can save you from becoming monsters!”
“The Shiyu Church? The Holy Heaven Army? They can’t protect you!”

“Who dares cause chaos here?!”

Qi Qiao backflipped onto the roof, grabbing the man by the collar.
“The Holy Heaven Army can’t protect you? Do you know how many of my soldiers died last night protecting this city?!”

She glared at him, killing intent blazing.

“Ahhhh!”

The man dangled in midair, too terrified to speak.

“Let him go. He’s just a fool who’s been misled.”

Bai Ci glanced at Qi Qiao. He sensed—this incident might reveal new clues.

“Hmph.”

Qi Qiao hurled the man off the roof, slamming him onto the street.

He scrambled away, whimpering. Qi Qiao landed beside Bai Ci and Luo Yu.

“The Temple of Life…?”

Qi Qiao recalled hearing the name from her subordinates.

Luo Yu gave her a cold glance, speaking quietly:

“Until recently, the Temple of Life was a subordinate faction under the Shiyu Church—loyal, obedient.”
“But lately, they severed ties. Still, we didn’t act—we’re not heartless.”
“But I never thought they’d openly do this…”

He exhaled sharply.

“What happened?”

Qi Qiao leaned in, intrigued—almost pleased to see the Shiyu Church undermined.

Luo Yu continued:
“Recently, while patrolling their territory, our men found traces of monsters.”
“We tried to investigate—only to be blocked and told they had ‘protection from the capital.’”

His voice dripped with sarcasm, aimed straight at Qi Qiao.

“So you’re saying the Holy Heaven Army stole your subordinate faction?”

Qi Qiao raised an eyebrow, catching his implication.

“Commander, you’re the capital’s official enforcers—legitimate, authoritative.”
“To you, we’re just a group of natives clinging together.”

Seeing Qi Qiao silent, Luo Yu pressed on:
“And yet we hold such power—no wonder we’re thorns in your side.”
“If I were you, I’d train a loyal dog too. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“What are you implying?!”

Qi Qiao snapped, anger flaring.

“You know best what the Holy Heaven Army has done with the Temple of Life,” Luo Yu sneered.
“I will uncover the truth behind your alliance…”

Looks like they’re completely at odds now.

Bai Ci sighed deeply.